BLACKSBURG, Va. — For the seventh time in eight seasons, the Pirates will face a familiar foe in No. 17-ranked Virginia Tech.

Fresh off a statement victory over the No. 8-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, the Hokies carry the title of clear-cut favorites in this matchup, taking six of the last seven meetings with East Carolina.

But offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley’s air raid offense is vastly different than Urban Meyer’s run-based playbook. If ECU can limit some of the costly errors that plagued the offense in last week’s matchup at South Carolina, Saturday’s game should be a high-scoring affair.

And despite a poor record in the series against the Hokies, the Pirates have hardly been a walkover, the offense consistently pressuring head coach Frank Beamer’s defense during the last few meetings.

For Virginia Tech, gone are the days of 6-foot-6 quarterback Logan Thomas, who was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Now, Beamer must rely on an even more balanced offensive approach, especially matched up against ECU’s deep linebacking corps centered around Zeek Bigger and Montese Overton.

Hokies quarterback Michael Brewer has been tasked with filling the shoes of Thomas. So far, he’s navigated his team to a 2-0 record, throwing for 450 yards and four touchdowns, all while compiling a quarterback rating of 139.2. The Hokies also happened to be deep at running back with four players recording 10-plus carries on the season.

However, Virginia Tech is known for its defense, which has virtually shut down the running game thus far. Against the pass, the Hokies defense has allowed 336 yards this season and will have its biggest test tomorrow with quarterback Shane Carden.

Mirroring his last two seasons in Pirate purple, Carden is completing around 70 percent of his passes, but has looked uncomfortable in the pocket at times and is coming off a two-interception game against the Gamecocks.

Last season, a safety silenced the Pirate faithful and ended what was otherwise a close defensive showcase. Virginia Tech walked out of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium with a 15-10 win.

The Pirates will look to right the ship tomorrow in Blacksburg. Kickoff is at noon and the game will be aired on ESPN.